HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Corinth, Miss., April 26, 1862.

Major-General POLK,

Commanding First Corps:

Major-General Polk will order Major-General Cheatham and 3,000 men to hold themselves in readiness to move in light marching order, with five days' cooked provisions, to the support of Brigadier-General Maxey, at Bethel. Major Hurt, military superintendent of railroads, will furnish the necessary trains. General Cheatham will employ his force so as to flank the enemy (about 3,000 strong) in case he should be already engaged with General Maxey or have passed west of the Mobile and Ohio road on his way to Bolivar. In the latter case, General Cheatham will attack him in rear. After having defeated the enemy and secured his arms, General Cheatham and his force will return to this place.

Brigadier-General Maxey having with him one battery of artillery, it is thought General Cheatham need not take another with him, on account of the bad condition of the roads and the delays which would result therefrom.

G. T. BEAUREGARD,

General, Commanding.

CORINTH, April 26, 1862.

General MAXEY:

No one must fall back unless compelled to or ordered to do so; we are fighting for our homes and firesides. When necessary, one place is as good as another to die. Let him hold Purdy if possible, then Bethel and Bolivar.

Now that you are disengaged from sick and heavy baggage, remain at Bethel until next advance of the enemy; in which case you will telegraph again for trains.

G. T. BEAUREGARD.

CORINTH, April 26, 1862.

Major-General VAN DORN,

Memphis, Tenn.:

Planters along Mississippi hesitate to burn cotton. Order parties under proper officers to go in small steamboats to burn all cotton within their reach along river, and call in public paper on said planters to burn their cotton forthwith, keeping an account of number of bales burnt.

G. T. BEAUREGARD.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

No. 41. Corinth, April 26, 1862.

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II. The chief of artillery, Colonel Gill, will inspect the batteries of this army, and organize them forthwith as follows: